To have excluded ds2 from pizza treat and fed him spaghetti on toast? Because ex thinks I was

Two dc aged 10 & 8. Since they broke up on Friday the sitting room has become more and more toy-filled. At the weekend they built a civilisation involving pretty much every toy they own, and did play with it a lot. They didn't want to put it away as they intended to play with it again, but we've been out a lot since then and they never did.

Day out yesterday and I bought pizza on the way home as treat 'final' tea with me before they go to their dad's, which they did this morning. I made it clear they would have to clear up the sitting room before I cooked it. When we got in, ds2 refused: put one thing away and then sat whining. Ds1 got on with it without complaining. To my shame, ds2 also stuck his middle finger up at me several times (new thing he seems to have picked up from school I suppose). We had been down a coalmine and learnt about children who worked in them and at one point ds1 said to ds2, "at least we're not down a mine," and ds2 replied that it was fine for those children as that was the old days. That obviously made me more annoyed.

I followed through on my threat and ds2 ate some of his meal and spent the rest of the mealtime lying under the kitchen table where he planned to stay forever, being surreptitiously fed onion rings by ds1 (I pretended not to notice).

Finally, we talked about it and he apologised, came out, had a tiny slither of pizza and fruit for pudding with his brother. I dropped them off at ex's this morning and have just received a text saying 'Ds2 is starving after no proper meal last night, while ds2 had pizza. Can you clarify?'

FFS, I don't know what to reply. Why should I answer to him after the way he carries on? Was I wrong? Would I be wrong not to reply/ or reply something very terse? Ds1 would be more than capable of giving an honest account of what happened.

Yanbu. I know using food as punishment isn't ideal but your ds2 was behaving badly and this was a treat. How you reply depends on your relationship with your ex I suppose. If it's bad and he's likely to use this as a stick to beat you with I just wouldn't reply. If it's generally good then text a simple explanation.

See I competely disagree. You'd made the expectations clear and he chose to ignore you. HE made a choice not to have his pizza. You did not leave him without a meal, it was just a less interesting one.I think you did the right thing and I would have done the same.And SOME foods ARE treats.

Oh for fucks sake he wasn’t starving, he was whinging because he knew his dad would create a fuss on his behalf. Which he has done, playing right into his hands.

Flip it round, why should DS2 have done no tidying, repeatedly sworn at his mother and been lippy and then had the same treat as DS1 who had tidied as asked, tried to encourage his brother to join in, not sworn or been cheeky?

I’d have done the same OP and if my ex had dared pipe up I’d have told him to fuck off.

To clarify - I made him spaghetti (tinned hoops- not the proper stuff!) on toast and he ate some of it. I would never withhold all food as a punishment, and, while I don't generally use food as a reward, I do think some food most definitely is a treat, and my dc are old enough to understand that.

Children who are deliberately misbehaving despite knowing their treat will be withdrawn if they continue, shouldn't be given the treat if they choose to carry on doing or not doing what they've been told.

He got fed something else, it wasn't as if he didn't have any food. He definitely shouldn't have had the pizza.

Thanks for the advice/opinions. I have sent a brief text outlining what happened. I just hate having to explain myself to him. I haven't texted him about allowing ds2 out inadequately dressed the other day because he refuses to spend any money n clothing for them, but I suppose IBU in conflating the two issues.

You're a good mum one who is not afraid to discipline her children, and there are too few of them about these days. Its almost like authority discipline and Consequence are a desease (hope I've spelt that right)